A wide range of food components are frequently dispensed from bottles or other containers, including ketchup, barbeque sauce, peanut butter, sour cream, salad dressing, mayonnaise, and mustard. However, food components stored in bottles can undergo serum separation, or syneresis. Additionally, highly viscous food components are not easily dispensed from bottles or containers.
Serum separation is when a watery liquid, known as serum, separates from the food component and rests in empty air space surrounding the food component. Serum separation is a gravity driven recurring phenomenon that can develop every time the container is restored to a rest position after dispensing a food component. When the container is inverted, the serum can reach the discharge point before the food component. Serum separation is common in many tomato-based products, such as ketchup and tomato sauce. Serum separation is common in other foods as well, such as mustard, barbeque sauce, and sour cream. Consumers can view the appearance of serum unfavorably.
Typical thickening agents, such as gums and hydrocolloids, can reduce serum separation and increase serum viscosity in products like ketchup. However, the Food and Drug Administration mandates in its standard of identity that if certain ingredients, such as thickening agents, are added to ketchup, the food component can no longer be labeled as ketchup.
Further, highly viscous food components, such as peanut butter, do not flow without added force and may require an undesirable amount of consumer effort for consumption. A squeeze bottle is not as effective for a food component, such as peanut butter, mayonnaise, or jams and jellies, because of this high viscosity and non-Newtonian properties, which tend to disfavor natural and effective product flow.
Also, one food component is generally dispensed from one container. When multiple toppings are desired for application on a food component, such as the case with condiments, it is necessary to utilize multiple topping containers for dispensing the toppings. For example, ketchup, mustard, and relish may be desired as a topping for a food component. A consumer is required to use a separate container of ketchup, a separate container of mustard, and a separate container of relish when multiple condiments are desired for a food component.
Further, these typical food component containers are generally disposable or intended for single use. Single use or disposable containers may require extra cost and create waste.